Nature (1982–…): Season 36, Episode 15 - Natural Born Rebels: The Mating Game - full transcript
Getting ahead in the mating game requires some astonishing behavior from promiscuous prairie dogs, to backstabbing manakins, kidnapping macaques, and hyenas with a bad case of sibling rivalry.
♪♪
NARRATOR: All animals
face the same challenge.
They need to find a
mate and raise a family.
And in a tough world,
that's never easy.
So to get what they
want, some animals
will break all the rules.
♪♪
A female's path
in the mating game
can be a devious and deadly one.
But is the conduct of
the males any better?
Meet the planet's
greatest rebels.
[Animals chittering]
They'll fight...
deceive...
and even kidnap.
The key to success, it seems,
is to make love and war.
We'll reveal new discoveries
and astonishing science
as our rebels strive to
raise the next generation
and get ahead in
the mating game.
[Bird warbles]
♪♪
NARRATOR: Playing the
mating game is never easy.
The search for
the perfect partner
can bring out the
worst in both sexes
and lead to some highly
underhanded tactics.
♪♪
On the prairie, winter
is drawing to an end.
Spring is in the air.
This is the
Gunnison's prairie dog.
These sociable animals
live in colonies called towns.
And in this one,
the prairie dogs' every
move is monitored.
♪♪
Researchers mark each one
with hair dye to tell them apart.
[Prairie dogs chittering]
And they've revealed
a scandalous side
to the females here.
♪♪
This is Risby.
As the morning snows melt away,
she's preparing for one
of the most important
days of her life.
She's looking for a mate.
But Risby has a problem.
HOOGLAND: Each
female is sexually receptive
for only several
hours on a single day.
If she doesn't mate on that
day, she loses the entire year...
She can't mate again
until the following March.
NARRATOR: Risby has just
6 hours a year to get pregnant.
Getting her way is going to
require an audacious hustle.
[Prairie dogs chittering]
Risby's 6-hour
mating clock is ticking.
♪♪
And this male... Patch... Is
already giving her the eye.
Changes in her scent indicate
that she's ready to mate.
Success!
♪♪
Just a couple of hours
into her mating window,
Risby has already mated.
♪♪
But her mission
is not yet complete
because she has no intention
of settling for just one mate.
In fact, Risby has got
designs on all the males.
The problem is jealous Patch
won't let any other
suitor near her.
[Prairie dogs chittering]
This bizarre stand-off
between Patch and his rivals
is a prairie dog dispute.
It's like arm wrestling,
but with your face.
It's often the prelude
to an outright fight.
[Chittering continues]
♪♪
Risby is at the
eye of the storm.
But it's all of her own making,
and it serves her perfectly.
While Patch is preoccupied,
Risby grabs an opportunity
and sneaks away
with lucky number 29.
And after giving both of
these guys the run around,
there's just enough time
to entice number
31 into her burrow.
♪♪
Risby has made the
most of her 6 fertile hours,
going out of her way to mate
with three different males.
[Chittering]
But the interesting thing is
not all female prairie
dogs behave like this.
A third are entirely
faithful to their partners...
while two thirds mate
with multiple males,
sometimes as many as 6.
So what's behind this
promiscuous behavior?
John Hoogland has
spent over 40 years
observing Gunnison's
Prairie dogs.
He's discovered several
advantages to playing the field.
The first is simple.
HOOGLAND: She
increases the probability
that she'll get pregnant.
Females that copulate
with 3 or more males
have 100% chance of conceiving.
That is huge
because they only
have one day a year.
If something goes
wrong and they miss,
then they lose a whole year.
NARRATOR: But
conception is just the start
of this fascinating story.
Mating with more than
one male is called polyandry.
To understand its
long-term benefits,
we have to fast-forward 9
weeks from mating day...
to early summer
when the pups emerge.
♪♪
It's time for their
first health check.
[Chittering]
HOOGLAND: Here we go.
You are a cute, little woofer.
NARRATOR: Like their parents,
these 5 week old
pups need markings.
HOOGLAND: It's
okay, little tiger.
NARRATOR: The next job is
to work out who the father is...
HOOGLAND: Okay.
NARRATOR: by taking a
DNA sample from the pup's ear.
And it's these DNA results
that explain the main reason
why prairie dogs can
be so promiscuous.
HOOGLAND: If the female
mates with Tom, Dick, and Harry,
most commonly, each
male will sire some babies,
and there is multiple paternity,
so she has more genetic
diversity among her litter.
NARRATOR: A litter of pups
with different genes means
if disease hits or the
environment changes,
it's more likely that one
or two pups will survive.
John's research has also shown
that polyandry leads
to bigger litters...
Up to 6 pups rather than 2 or 3.
HOOGLAND: So
it's a win, win, win.
She's more likely to conceive,
she has a larger litter,
her babies survive better,
so why not?
NARRATOR: But if there
are so many advantages
to being polyandrous,
why do some female prairie dogs
remain faithful
to their partners?
John's research has found
the answer to this, too.
HOOGLAND: Females
that are polyandrous
are less likely to survive
until the following year.
I mean, mating is costly.
I can assure you when
a female is copulating,
she can't run very fast,
so if a predator
comes, she's vulnerable.
It also increases
the probability
that she'll pick up a nasty
disease or a parasite.
NARRATOR: If a female
prairie dog like Risby
chooses to be promiscuous,
there are no
benefits to her at all.
[Chittering]
But her devious behavior does
significantly benefit her pups.
And in the game of life, that
really is what it's all about.
[Wind blowing]
[Birds chirping]
When it comes to mating,
most females share
the same top priority.
[Elephant grunts]
To have fit, healthy babies.
[Bird caws]
And to achieve that goal,
one rebel is as
ruthless as they come.
♪♪
Queensland's
tropical rainforests...
[Animals chittering]
home to some truly
impressive predators...
♪♪
Including one of
the most notorious.
♪♪
Her unmistakable stance
gives her a holy name.
But this praying
mantis is no saint.
♪♪
Her lightning-fast reflexes
can take down prey
in a tenth of a second...
Faster than a human blink.
She's fattening up for
the breeding season.
Producing hundreds of
eggs takes a lot of energy.
So to have healthy
offspring, she needs 2 things...
Food and a mate.
♪♪
This rebel has a trick
that could bring her both.
♪♪
She pulsates her abdomen...
releasing alluring pheromones.
♪♪
These chemical signals
drift through the forest,
announcing that
she is ready to mate.
♪♪
Sensors on a male's
antennae pick up her scent
and home in on her location.
♪♪
A suitor has arrived.
♪♪
His walking speed
doesn't match his reflexes.
And even mating takes a while...
♪♪
Sometimes up to 40 hours...
♪♪
It all seems to be going well.
♪♪
But little does the
male know that for him,
mantis mating often ends...
like this...
with losing your head.
♪♪
The female of this species
really is more
deadly than the male.
♪♪
Her mate is more
nutritious than her usual diet.
♪♪
In fact, eating him
will improve her fertility
by up to 40 percent.
So snacking on her suitor
will provide the energy
she needs to produce
the best quality eggs.
[Insects chirping]
Scientists have found that
the hungrier the female mantis,
the more pheromones
she releases.
♪♪
This led them to discover
the true rebel of
the mantis world.
Introducing the female
false garden mantis.
She's under-nourished,
not yet fit enough
to produce eggs.
Despite this, she releases her
pheromones to lure in a male.
♪♪
But instead of
mating with him...
she just eats him.
This sexual deception helps
starving females to fatten up
so they're ready to mate
with the next male
that comes their way.
[Birds chirping]
Femme fatale or
just a great mom?
A female mantis' rogue
behavior is all for a good cause,
ensuring a healthy and
strong next generation.
[Animals chittering]
As the mantis shows,
the drive to be a mother
can have unfortunate
consequences
for those around her.
And one female is so
intent on getting her way
that innocent bystanders
get caught in the crossfire.
Meet Mungos mungo.
[Chittering]
Otherwise known as
the banded mongoose.
♪♪
These catlike
carnivores live in packs,
big, extended families
up to 30 strong.
For a female in this
group, life seems good.
She has plenty of food,
prime territory,
and great neighbors.
♪♪
Her clan does
everything together...
which leads to one big problem.
[Chittering]
Mongoose groups
are so tight knit
that a female has to breed
with many of her male relatives.
♪♪
The result is a high
proportion of inbred pups,
born of closely related parents.
They're often smaller, weaker,
and don't survive as long
as genetically healthy ones,
which jeopardizes
the future of the troop.
[Chittering]
The solution to this
problem seems simple.
A female just needs to mate
with a male from outside her group.
The trouble is when different
mongoose gangs meet...
this happens.
[Chittering]
♪♪
Banded Mongooses are so violent
that some scientists
categorize them
alongside chimps and humans
as one of the few mammals
prepared to wage war.
Quality territory, with
good food and shelter,
is worth a fight.
Studies show that
nearly a sixth of a troop
can die from their injuries...
pups included.
[Animals chittering]
Our female's ideal mate
is her sworn worst enemy.
To get access to him,
she needs to use some
pretty treacherous behavior.
[Device beeping]
Over 20 years
of scientific study
have led to a
fascinating discovery.
[Chittering]
During the chaos of battle,
scientists filmed
females from one group
sleeping with the enemy.
♪♪
It's easy to miss the crucial
moment in the confusion,
and that is the point.
Just watch this.
Romeo and Juliet here
are using the battle
action as a smokescreen.
While the rest of
the tribe is busy,
the star-crossed lovers slink
off into the bushes unnoticed.
Now, as sneaky tactics
go, that's impressive.
But there's a whole other
level to this rebel's strategy.
Scientists believe that when
a female is ready to mate...
she may start a battle...
[Chittering]
to get to her Romeo.
♪♪
Members of her
own family could die.
But these mobsters
need to be reckless
to have strong, healthy pups.
The key to success for a
female mongoose, it seems,
is to make love and war.
♪♪
[Birds chirping]
A female's path to
success in the mating game
can be a devious and deadly one.
But is the conduct of
the males any better?
To succeed, a male
must do just one thing...
Beat the other players
and win the prize.
♪♪
[Moose lows]
Millions of years
of sexual selection
of the strongest, fittest traits
has led to a world
where size does matter.
♪♪
Fights are often bloody...
and can cost losers
more than just a mate.
[Birds chirping]
[Buzzing]
This male Dawson's burrowing
bee is waiting for a mate.
♪♪
And he's impatient.
♪♪
Beneath this baked
earth, thousands of females
have been dormant
for nearly a year.
But winter has arrived,
and now they are stirring.
The male's wait is nearly over.
The problem is, he's
not the only one here.
♪♪
Male burrowing
bees feverishly patrol
10,000 entrances to this colony.
Early in the mating season,
they outnumber an emerging
female hundreds to one.
♪♪
The white face of an
unsuspecting female.
She will mate once,
then never again.
To get this precious prize,
the males have to fight it out.
♪♪
A ball forms around her as they
wrestle for the chance to mate.
♪♪
Males attack rivals with their
powerful jaws and spiny legs.
♪♪
Broken wings spell death.
♪♪
The colony is littered
with the bodies of
battle-scarred bees.
And another is
about to join them.
♪♪
In their frenzy,
these males have
accidentally killed
the object of their desire.
[Bees buzzing]
♪♪
But for other combatants,
victory is in sight.
One male has fought his
way out with the female.
But he's not safe yet.
To mate, they must make it
to the safety of the scrubland.
♪♪
His fight was worth it
not just for him,
but for the next
generation, too.
The violence is a
form of quality control.
Only the fittest,
strongest males
will get to pass on their genes.
♪♪
But males don't
always resort to violence
to eliminate their competition.
[Birds chirping]
Good looks can
work just as well.
[Birds squawking]
Fans, feathers, and flamboyance.
♪♪
In the bird world,
sexual selection in
males has favored
not just brawn, but beauty, too.
♪♪
The peacock.
He's got to be the
most glamorous player
in all of nature.
[Peacocks crying]
♪♪
[Peacocks crying]
A magnificent 5 foot train
signals that the male
is healthy and strong.
This dazzling display
is all for one thing...
to impress her...
The peahen.
She's looking for
the most iridescent
and colorful eyespots.
[Crying continues]
So the male shakes his
tail feathers to show them off.
The problem is...
the peahen has a bevy of
other males to choose from.
[Crying continues]
There are over 30
male peacocks here.
Playing by the rules
isn't always enough
to get you noticed.
It's an issue that this
peacock, named Sam,
can appreciate all too well.
♪♪
He's having a bad day.
♪♪
He's been strutting
his stuff all morning,
trying to impress
anyone in sight...
[Peacock squawks]
♪♪
With no success.
And his day is
about to get worse.
One of his competitors
is closing in on a peahen.
This rival lothario
proclaims his victory
with a distinctive hoot.
[Peacock hoots]
It's the sound a peacock makes
when he's successfully
wooed a lady.
[Peacock hoots]
Sam, on the other hand,
seems rather deflated.
♪♪
And worse still, his opponent's
trademark mating hoot
appears to have
drawn in other peahens
that want to
check out this stud.
♪♪
For Sam, it's time
for some dirty tactics.
♪♪
[Peacock hoots]
Another victorious mating hoot.
[Peacock hoots]
And the lucky male is...
♪♪
Sam.
[Peacock hoots]
Except he still
doesn't have a mate.
He's faking it.
But the lure of a Casanova
is apparently too much
for this female to resist.
She seems to have
fallen for his fraud.
[Peacock cries]
Pretending to be
popular is a clever con
that can get a plucky peacock
valuable extra attention
and give him the edge
when it comes to mating.
[Animals chittering]
Cheating on your courtship
competitors is one thing.
But what if your biggest rival
is also your life-long friend?
♪♪
Somewhere down
there, love is in the air.
[Insects chirping]
This branch is the
setting for a mating ritual
that involves a
devious double-cross.
[Leaves rustling]
A male long-tailed manakin
woos a female through
the medium of dance.
And for that, he needs 2 things.
First, the perfect branch.
He's a stickler for detail.
His female audience needs
a clear view of his stage.
Next he needs his
trusty dance partner.
[Manakins chirping]
This may just be nature's
ultimate bromance.
[Manakins warbling]
♪♪
Their complex
routines take practice.
♪♪
The performers are not related,
but this is a
long-term relationship.
[Warbling continues]
A duo will dance
together for up to 10 years.
[Manakins whistle]
They're so close, they even
finish each other's songs.
[Manakin chirps]
[Manakins whistle]
A female has
answered their call.
But it's April, peak
display season.
She may visit several
dance sites to judge
and choose the slickest routine.
So this pair really
needs to impress.
[Manakins warbling]
♪♪
The key to her
heart is to be in sync
with their signature
manakin dance moves,
like the popcorn...
♪♪
And the cartwheel.
As the routine reaches
its rousing climax,
it's clear she's interested.
But there's an obvious issue.
The numbers don't add up.
Only one lucky
male flies off to mate.
For the other, this is surely
the ultimate double cross.
The faithful wingman
is left in the wings.
[Manakin chirps]
♪♪
Why on earth would
he go to all that effort
if he doesn't get
the chance to breed?
Well this partnership is
not as equal as it looks.
The pair is in fact made up
of an alpha and a beta bird.
Once the elaborate dance
attracts an interested female,
only the dominant
alpha gets to mate.
But the beta has a
strategy of his own.
He's playing the long game.
[Warbling]
Long-tailed manakins
can live for 18 years.
For nearly half his life,
a beta will help the
alpha get the girl,
building the reputation
of their dance site,
drawing the same
females in year after year.
When the alpha dies,
the beta will inherit
this dance floor
and all its visiting females.
♪♪
With a bit of patience,
it will eventually
be the beta's turn
to benefit from a
dance partner of his own
and steal the prize.
[Manakin chirps]
♪♪
[Wind whistling]
So our males and our females,
using every trick in the book,
have managed to mate.
[Penguin warbles]
The result is lots of babies.
♪♪
[Penguin chick chirps]
♪♪
[Screeching]
[Elephant grunts]
♪♪
[Elephant trumpets]
♪♪
[Chirping]
♪♪
[Cub hisses]
Now, all that's left
is to raise them.
Kids are notorious
for acting up,
and the little darlings
of the animal kingdom
are no exception.
Being born in a
challenging environment
can have a big impact
on just how
horribly they behave.
[Animals chattering]
On the plains of Africa, young
animals must come to grips
with their new world.
It's a tough place to grow up.
Competition is fierce.
To survive in the Serengeti,
some rebels are
shockingly ruthless.
♪♪
Spotted hyenas are
often born as twins.
[Hyena whimpers]
♪♪
They're raised in clans
that can number over 100...
A lot of mouths to feed.
♪♪
Right now, the
cubs are thriving.
But as the seasons change,
the life of one of these twins
could hang in the balance.
Finding enough food
for them can be a battle.
In the rainy season,
over one and a half million
wildebeest roam this savannah.
Contrary to their reputation,
spotted hyenas
aren't just scavengers.
They're also skilled hunters.
But as the dry season sets in,
the wildebeest all but vanish
on their annual migration.
So there's trouble ahead,
and the cubs are ready for it.
From birth, spotted hyena
twins are at each other's throats...
literally.
[Hyenas grunting]
Play fighting like this
has a serious undertone.
Scientists have captured it
spilling over into
outright aggression.
Dr. Marion East
has spent 30 years
studying the social
interactions of these hyenas
and their unsettling
sibling rivalry.
DR. EAST: The minute
the first animal is born,
it is born with its eyes
open and its teeth erupted,
and it's waiting for
its sibling to be born
so they can start to fight
to establish their hierarchy.
♪♪
NARRATOR: With
incessant sparring
during the first
few weeks of life,
one twin will establish
its dominance.
And there's one very good
reason to fight for that position...
Food.
DR. EAST: The benefit
that dominant cubs
acquire from being aggressive
is that they do, even
when things aren't too bad,
skew the amount of milk
they consume in their favor.
NARRATOR: When times are good,
there's enough
food for both cubs.
But when milk
is in short supply,
things become dire
for the subordinate twin.
DR. EAST: The outcome
of aggression, if it carries on
and is very extreme
for a couple of months,
it can be that the
subordinate cub
starts to basically wither away.
And in the end, it
will starve to death.
NARRATOR: Footage captured
by Marion's research team
shows dominant cubs
push their subordinates away
from their mother's
precious milk.
Actions like this mean
that in nearly 10 percent
of hyena litters
here in the Serengeti,
the subordinate
will die of starvation.
This killing of a brother or
sister is known as siblicide.
So what determines
which twin wins?
♪♪
The answer might just
play out on a soccer field.
In sports, winning produces
a surge of hormones
that gives a player
added confidence.
This self-assurance could mean
they're more likely
to score again.
[Cheers and applause]
It's called the
Winner-Loser theory.
♪♪
And it could also affect the
dynamic between hyena twins.
In those early days,
when one twin wins
a fight over its sibling,
it remembers that.
They both learn
where they stand in life.
For a mother, this ruthless
behavior is a harsh reality,
but it does have
a silver lining.
DR. EAST: If there wasn't
siblicide, she'd lose both cubs
because she just simply doesn't
have enough milk to feed both.
So it's better for one cub
to survive than for two to die.
NARRATOR: The
natural world is unforgiving.
When times get really hard,
having one rebel cub survive
means the whole
family gets a future.
Hyena cubs are in good company
when it comes to
questionable conduct.
Newborn babies of these
underground amphibians...
Caecilians... Eat
their mother's skin.
Black lace-weaver
spiderlings eat their mother.
♪♪
So what is the secret
to a happy family?
Well, in Europe,
a species not so
far from our own
has come up with a
very unusual answer.
And it lies, of course, in
a pretty despicable deed.
♪♪
These, are the Barbary
macaques of Gibraltar.
♪♪
[Chittering]
♪♪
Europe's only wild primates
live in large social groups
of up to 80 males and females.
As far as macaque species go,
the matriarchal Barbaries
are relatively peaceful.
In this big, happy family,
social tactics are often more
effective than aggression.
Several hours of grooming a
day keeps stress levels down.
♪♪
This is the perfect
environment to bring up babies.
♪♪
But there's trouble in paradise.
[Sea gulls crying]
Meet Vincent.
He's on the lookout for
a precious commodity.
And he's got one thing in mind.
♪♪
Kidnapping!
[Macaques squeaking]
Vincent has stolen
a helpless baby.
Mom is left empty handed.
But why has he done this?
♪♪
Dr. Eric Shaw has been
observing these macaques
for over 18 years.
He's caught countless males
in the act of baby stealing.
[Macaque squeals]
DR. SHAW: It may look to most
people somewhat aggressive
when it's taken from the mother,
but it's what transpired
beforehand that's brought
about what looks aggressive
to the human observer.
NARRATOR: To
understand what's going on,
we need to backtrack
to before the kidnapping.
♪♪
Though Barbaries
are mostly harmonious,
like human families, they
sometimes erupt in conflict.
[Macaques squealing]
♪♪
DR. SHAW: Basically
what happens is the males
have arguments a little bit like
we have arguments
with one another.
But they can't be
enemies forever.
And what they do
once they've fallen out
is they realize there
has to be reconciliation.
They all live in the same group.
There has to be peace.
NARRATOR: They make peace
in the most remarkable way...
By stealing a baby.
DR. SHAW: The
loser, so to speak,
will go and borrow a
baby off one of the females.
NARRATOR: In our
case, the loser is Vincent...
A relative nobody in
the troop's pecking order.
DR. SHAW: He will take that
baby and go back to his protagonist,
the one that he lost
against, and present it.
NARRATOR: Our winner
is Aristotle on the left...
The alpha male, the boss.
Vincent needs him on his side.
Keeping good with
the alpha could improve
Vincent's position in the troop,
and a higher rank means better
access to food and females.
But what do these two
males do with the baby?
DR. SHAW: You've
got a little, tiny baby
that gets turned upside down,
his bottom gets
smelled by both of them,
they have a close look.
♪♪
They'll both lip smack
and chatter over the baby.
NARRATOR: This is the
macaque equivalent of a smile.
DR. SHAW: Showing
my teeth... Harmless, nice,
wide-open, friendly,
"I love you, really."
NARRATOR: So
peace reigns once more.
Aristotle has accepted
Vincent's olive branch,
and they are friends again.
Which is all very well for them.
But the olive branch is hungry
and seems a bit distressed
by his new babysitters.
DR. SHAW: It's not quite
sure what's happening,
but it's shouting to
mummy all the time.
The mothers don't react badly
because the baby's not taken.
The mother's lent it.
She knows exactly
what's happening.
But they keep that watching eye.
♪♪
NARRATOR: Now that the baby
has served Vincent's purpose,
he doesn't seem so smitten.
It might be time to give
it back to its mother.
The beauty of
this bizarre apology
is that Vincent isn't
the only one to benefit.
The whole troop does.
Baby borrowing
resolves conflict.
It reduces tension in the group.
♪♪
Instead of being a high
crime, this remarkable behavior
actually helps
foster a happy clan.
♪♪
[Sea gulls crying]
♪♪
Getting ahead in the mating
game often requires cheating...
playing the field...
cannibalism...
or plain, brute force.
But being a rebel serves
an important purpose.
The challenges these
animals face are immense.
Thinking on your feet
and outside the box
can be just what it takes
for an animal to succeed.
[Chittering]
♪♪
♪♪
NARRATOR: All animals
face the same challenge.
They need to find a
mate and raise a family.
And in a tough world,
that's never easy.
So to get what they
want, some animals
will break all the rules.
♪♪
A female's path
in the mating game
can be a devious and deadly one.
But is the conduct of
the males any better?
Meet the planet's
greatest rebels.
[Animals chittering]
They'll fight...
deceive...
and even kidnap.
The key to success, it seems,
is to make love and war.
We'll reveal new discoveries
and astonishing science
as our rebels strive to
raise the next generation
and get ahead in
the mating game.
[Bird warbles]
♪♪
NARRATOR: Playing the
mating game is never easy.
The search for
the perfect partner
can bring out the
worst in both sexes
and lead to some highly
underhanded tactics.
♪♪
On the prairie, winter
is drawing to an end.
Spring is in the air.
This is the
Gunnison's prairie dog.
These sociable animals
live in colonies called towns.
And in this one,
the prairie dogs' every
move is monitored.
♪♪
Researchers mark each one
with hair dye to tell them apart.
[Prairie dogs chittering]
And they've revealed
a scandalous side
to the females here.
♪♪
This is Risby.
As the morning snows melt away,
she's preparing for one
of the most important
days of her life.
She's looking for a mate.
But Risby has a problem.
HOOGLAND: Each
female is sexually receptive
for only several
hours on a single day.
If she doesn't mate on that
day, she loses the entire year...
She can't mate again
until the following March.
NARRATOR: Risby has just
6 hours a year to get pregnant.
Getting her way is going to
require an audacious hustle.
[Prairie dogs chittering]
Risby's 6-hour
mating clock is ticking.
♪♪
And this male... Patch... Is
already giving her the eye.
Changes in her scent indicate
that she's ready to mate.
Success!
♪♪
Just a couple of hours
into her mating window,
Risby has already mated.
♪♪
But her mission
is not yet complete
because she has no intention
of settling for just one mate.
In fact, Risby has got
designs on all the males.
The problem is jealous Patch
won't let any other
suitor near her.
[Prairie dogs chittering]
This bizarre stand-off
between Patch and his rivals
is a prairie dog dispute.
It's like arm wrestling,
but with your face.
It's often the prelude
to an outright fight.
[Chittering continues]
♪♪
Risby is at the
eye of the storm.
But it's all of her own making,
and it serves her perfectly.
While Patch is preoccupied,
Risby grabs an opportunity
and sneaks away
with lucky number 29.
And after giving both of
these guys the run around,
there's just enough time
to entice number
31 into her burrow.
♪♪
Risby has made the
most of her 6 fertile hours,
going out of her way to mate
with three different males.
[Chittering]
But the interesting thing is
not all female prairie
dogs behave like this.
A third are entirely
faithful to their partners...
while two thirds mate
with multiple males,
sometimes as many as 6.
So what's behind this
promiscuous behavior?
John Hoogland has
spent over 40 years
observing Gunnison's
Prairie dogs.
He's discovered several
advantages to playing the field.
The first is simple.
HOOGLAND: She
increases the probability
that she'll get pregnant.
Females that copulate
with 3 or more males
have 100% chance of conceiving.
That is huge
because they only
have one day a year.
If something goes
wrong and they miss,
then they lose a whole year.
NARRATOR: But
conception is just the start
of this fascinating story.
Mating with more than
one male is called polyandry.
To understand its
long-term benefits,
we have to fast-forward 9
weeks from mating day...
to early summer
when the pups emerge.
♪♪
It's time for their
first health check.
[Chittering]
HOOGLAND: Here we go.
You are a cute, little woofer.
NARRATOR: Like their parents,
these 5 week old
pups need markings.
HOOGLAND: It's
okay, little tiger.
NARRATOR: The next job is
to work out who the father is...
HOOGLAND: Okay.
NARRATOR: by taking a
DNA sample from the pup's ear.
And it's these DNA results
that explain the main reason
why prairie dogs can
be so promiscuous.
HOOGLAND: If the female
mates with Tom, Dick, and Harry,
most commonly, each
male will sire some babies,
and there is multiple paternity,
so she has more genetic
diversity among her litter.
NARRATOR: A litter of pups
with different genes means
if disease hits or the
environment changes,
it's more likely that one
or two pups will survive.
John's research has also shown
that polyandry leads
to bigger litters...
Up to 6 pups rather than 2 or 3.
HOOGLAND: So
it's a win, win, win.
She's more likely to conceive,
she has a larger litter,
her babies survive better,
so why not?
NARRATOR: But if there
are so many advantages
to being polyandrous,
why do some female prairie dogs
remain faithful
to their partners?
John's research has found
the answer to this, too.
HOOGLAND: Females
that are polyandrous
are less likely to survive
until the following year.
I mean, mating is costly.
I can assure you when
a female is copulating,
she can't run very fast,
so if a predator
comes, she's vulnerable.
It also increases
the probability
that she'll pick up a nasty
disease or a parasite.
NARRATOR: If a female
prairie dog like Risby
chooses to be promiscuous,
there are no
benefits to her at all.
[Chittering]
But her devious behavior does
significantly benefit her pups.
And in the game of life, that
really is what it's all about.
[Wind blowing]
[Birds chirping]
When it comes to mating,
most females share
the same top priority.
[Elephant grunts]
To have fit, healthy babies.
[Bird caws]
And to achieve that goal,
one rebel is as
ruthless as they come.
♪♪
Queensland's
tropical rainforests...
[Animals chittering]
home to some truly
impressive predators...
♪♪
Including one of
the most notorious.
♪♪
Her unmistakable stance
gives her a holy name.
But this praying
mantis is no saint.
♪♪
Her lightning-fast reflexes
can take down prey
in a tenth of a second...
Faster than a human blink.
She's fattening up for
the breeding season.
Producing hundreds of
eggs takes a lot of energy.
So to have healthy
offspring, she needs 2 things...
Food and a mate.
♪♪
This rebel has a trick
that could bring her both.
♪♪
She pulsates her abdomen...
releasing alluring pheromones.
♪♪
These chemical signals
drift through the forest,
announcing that
she is ready to mate.
♪♪
Sensors on a male's
antennae pick up her scent
and home in on her location.
♪♪
A suitor has arrived.
♪♪
His walking speed
doesn't match his reflexes.
And even mating takes a while...
♪♪
Sometimes up to 40 hours...
♪♪
It all seems to be going well.
♪♪
But little does the
male know that for him,
mantis mating often ends...
like this...
with losing your head.
♪♪
The female of this species
really is more
deadly than the male.
♪♪
Her mate is more
nutritious than her usual diet.
♪♪
In fact, eating him
will improve her fertility
by up to 40 percent.
So snacking on her suitor
will provide the energy
she needs to produce
the best quality eggs.
[Insects chirping]
Scientists have found that
the hungrier the female mantis,
the more pheromones
she releases.
♪♪
This led them to discover
the true rebel of
the mantis world.
Introducing the female
false garden mantis.
She's under-nourished,
not yet fit enough
to produce eggs.
Despite this, she releases her
pheromones to lure in a male.
♪♪
But instead of
mating with him...
she just eats him.
This sexual deception helps
starving females to fatten up
so they're ready to mate
with the next male
that comes their way.
[Birds chirping]
Femme fatale or
just a great mom?
A female mantis' rogue
behavior is all for a good cause,
ensuring a healthy and
strong next generation.
[Animals chittering]
As the mantis shows,
the drive to be a mother
can have unfortunate
consequences
for those around her.
And one female is so
intent on getting her way
that innocent bystanders
get caught in the crossfire.
Meet Mungos mungo.
[Chittering]
Otherwise known as
the banded mongoose.
♪♪
These catlike
carnivores live in packs,
big, extended families
up to 30 strong.
For a female in this
group, life seems good.
She has plenty of food,
prime territory,
and great neighbors.
♪♪
Her clan does
everything together...
which leads to one big problem.
[Chittering]
Mongoose groups
are so tight knit
that a female has to breed
with many of her male relatives.
♪♪
The result is a high
proportion of inbred pups,
born of closely related parents.
They're often smaller, weaker,
and don't survive as long
as genetically healthy ones,
which jeopardizes
the future of the troop.
[Chittering]
The solution to this
problem seems simple.
A female just needs to mate
with a male from outside her group.
The trouble is when different
mongoose gangs meet...
this happens.
[Chittering]
♪♪
Banded Mongooses are so violent
that some scientists
categorize them
alongside chimps and humans
as one of the few mammals
prepared to wage war.
Quality territory, with
good food and shelter,
is worth a fight.
Studies show that
nearly a sixth of a troop
can die from their injuries...
pups included.
[Animals chittering]
Our female's ideal mate
is her sworn worst enemy.
To get access to him,
she needs to use some
pretty treacherous behavior.
[Device beeping]
Over 20 years
of scientific study
have led to a
fascinating discovery.
[Chittering]
During the chaos of battle,
scientists filmed
females from one group
sleeping with the enemy.
♪♪
It's easy to miss the crucial
moment in the confusion,
and that is the point.
Just watch this.
Romeo and Juliet here
are using the battle
action as a smokescreen.
While the rest of
the tribe is busy,
the star-crossed lovers slink
off into the bushes unnoticed.
Now, as sneaky tactics
go, that's impressive.
But there's a whole other
level to this rebel's strategy.
Scientists believe that when
a female is ready to mate...
she may start a battle...
[Chittering]
to get to her Romeo.
♪♪
Members of her
own family could die.
But these mobsters
need to be reckless
to have strong, healthy pups.
The key to success for a
female mongoose, it seems,
is to make love and war.
♪♪
[Birds chirping]
A female's path to
success in the mating game
can be a devious and deadly one.
But is the conduct of
the males any better?
To succeed, a male
must do just one thing...
Beat the other players
and win the prize.
♪♪
[Moose lows]
Millions of years
of sexual selection
of the strongest, fittest traits
has led to a world
where size does matter.
♪♪
Fights are often bloody...
and can cost losers
more than just a mate.
[Birds chirping]
[Buzzing]
This male Dawson's burrowing
bee is waiting for a mate.
♪♪
And he's impatient.
♪♪
Beneath this baked
earth, thousands of females
have been dormant
for nearly a year.
But winter has arrived,
and now they are stirring.
The male's wait is nearly over.
The problem is, he's
not the only one here.
♪♪
Male burrowing
bees feverishly patrol
10,000 entrances to this colony.
Early in the mating season,
they outnumber an emerging
female hundreds to one.
♪♪
The white face of an
unsuspecting female.
She will mate once,
then never again.
To get this precious prize,
the males have to fight it out.
♪♪
A ball forms around her as they
wrestle for the chance to mate.
♪♪
Males attack rivals with their
powerful jaws and spiny legs.
♪♪
Broken wings spell death.
♪♪
The colony is littered
with the bodies of
battle-scarred bees.
And another is
about to join them.
♪♪
In their frenzy,
these males have
accidentally killed
the object of their desire.
[Bees buzzing]
♪♪
But for other combatants,
victory is in sight.
One male has fought his
way out with the female.
But he's not safe yet.
To mate, they must make it
to the safety of the scrubland.
♪♪
His fight was worth it
not just for him,
but for the next
generation, too.
The violence is a
form of quality control.
Only the fittest,
strongest males
will get to pass on their genes.
♪♪
But males don't
always resort to violence
to eliminate their competition.
[Birds chirping]
Good looks can
work just as well.
[Birds squawking]
Fans, feathers, and flamboyance.
♪♪
In the bird world,
sexual selection in
males has favored
not just brawn, but beauty, too.
♪♪
The peacock.
He's got to be the
most glamorous player
in all of nature.
[Peacocks crying]
♪♪
[Peacocks crying]
A magnificent 5 foot train
signals that the male
is healthy and strong.
This dazzling display
is all for one thing...
to impress her...
The peahen.
She's looking for
the most iridescent
and colorful eyespots.
[Crying continues]
So the male shakes his
tail feathers to show them off.
The problem is...
the peahen has a bevy of
other males to choose from.
[Crying continues]
There are over 30
male peacocks here.
Playing by the rules
isn't always enough
to get you noticed.
It's an issue that this
peacock, named Sam,
can appreciate all too well.
♪♪
He's having a bad day.
♪♪
He's been strutting
his stuff all morning,
trying to impress
anyone in sight...
[Peacock squawks]
♪♪
With no success.
And his day is
about to get worse.
One of his competitors
is closing in on a peahen.
This rival lothario
proclaims his victory
with a distinctive hoot.
[Peacock hoots]
It's the sound a peacock makes
when he's successfully
wooed a lady.
[Peacock hoots]
Sam, on the other hand,
seems rather deflated.
♪♪
And worse still, his opponent's
trademark mating hoot
appears to have
drawn in other peahens
that want to
check out this stud.
♪♪
For Sam, it's time
for some dirty tactics.
♪♪
[Peacock hoots]
Another victorious mating hoot.
[Peacock hoots]
And the lucky male is...
♪♪
Sam.
[Peacock hoots]
Except he still
doesn't have a mate.
He's faking it.
But the lure of a Casanova
is apparently too much
for this female to resist.
She seems to have
fallen for his fraud.
[Peacock cries]
Pretending to be
popular is a clever con
that can get a plucky peacock
valuable extra attention
and give him the edge
when it comes to mating.
[Animals chittering]
Cheating on your courtship
competitors is one thing.
But what if your biggest rival
is also your life-long friend?
♪♪
Somewhere down
there, love is in the air.
[Insects chirping]
This branch is the
setting for a mating ritual
that involves a
devious double-cross.
[Leaves rustling]
A male long-tailed manakin
woos a female through
the medium of dance.
And for that, he needs 2 things.
First, the perfect branch.
He's a stickler for detail.
His female audience needs
a clear view of his stage.
Next he needs his
trusty dance partner.
[Manakins chirping]
This may just be nature's
ultimate bromance.
[Manakins warbling]
♪♪
Their complex
routines take practice.
♪♪
The performers are not related,
but this is a
long-term relationship.
[Warbling continues]
A duo will dance
together for up to 10 years.
[Manakins whistle]
They're so close, they even
finish each other's songs.
[Manakin chirps]
[Manakins whistle]
A female has
answered their call.
But it's April, peak
display season.
She may visit several
dance sites to judge
and choose the slickest routine.
So this pair really
needs to impress.
[Manakins warbling]
♪♪
The key to her
heart is to be in sync
with their signature
manakin dance moves,
like the popcorn...
♪♪
And the cartwheel.
As the routine reaches
its rousing climax,
it's clear she's interested.
But there's an obvious issue.
The numbers don't add up.
Only one lucky
male flies off to mate.
For the other, this is surely
the ultimate double cross.
The faithful wingman
is left in the wings.
[Manakin chirps]
♪♪
Why on earth would
he go to all that effort
if he doesn't get
the chance to breed?
Well this partnership is
not as equal as it looks.
The pair is in fact made up
of an alpha and a beta bird.
Once the elaborate dance
attracts an interested female,
only the dominant
alpha gets to mate.
But the beta has a
strategy of his own.
He's playing the long game.
[Warbling]
Long-tailed manakins
can live for 18 years.
For nearly half his life,
a beta will help the
alpha get the girl,
building the reputation
of their dance site,
drawing the same
females in year after year.
When the alpha dies,
the beta will inherit
this dance floor
and all its visiting females.
♪♪
With a bit of patience,
it will eventually
be the beta's turn
to benefit from a
dance partner of his own
and steal the prize.
[Manakin chirps]
♪♪
[Wind whistling]
So our males and our females,
using every trick in the book,
have managed to mate.
[Penguin warbles]
The result is lots of babies.
♪♪
[Penguin chick chirps]
♪♪
[Screeching]
[Elephant grunts]
♪♪
[Elephant trumpets]
♪♪
[Chirping]
♪♪
[Cub hisses]
Now, all that's left
is to raise them.
Kids are notorious
for acting up,
and the little darlings
of the animal kingdom
are no exception.
Being born in a
challenging environment
can have a big impact
on just how
horribly they behave.
[Animals chattering]
On the plains of Africa, young
animals must come to grips
with their new world.
It's a tough place to grow up.
Competition is fierce.
To survive in the Serengeti,
some rebels are
shockingly ruthless.
♪♪
Spotted hyenas are
often born as twins.
[Hyena whimpers]
♪♪
They're raised in clans
that can number over 100...
A lot of mouths to feed.
♪♪
Right now, the
cubs are thriving.
But as the seasons change,
the life of one of these twins
could hang in the balance.
Finding enough food
for them can be a battle.
In the rainy season,
over one and a half million
wildebeest roam this savannah.
Contrary to their reputation,
spotted hyenas
aren't just scavengers.
They're also skilled hunters.
But as the dry season sets in,
the wildebeest all but vanish
on their annual migration.
So there's trouble ahead,
and the cubs are ready for it.
From birth, spotted hyena
twins are at each other's throats...
literally.
[Hyenas grunting]
Play fighting like this
has a serious undertone.
Scientists have captured it
spilling over into
outright aggression.
Dr. Marion East
has spent 30 years
studying the social
interactions of these hyenas
and their unsettling
sibling rivalry.
DR. EAST: The minute
the first animal is born,
it is born with its eyes
open and its teeth erupted,
and it's waiting for
its sibling to be born
so they can start to fight
to establish their hierarchy.
♪♪
NARRATOR: With
incessant sparring
during the first
few weeks of life,
one twin will establish
its dominance.
And there's one very good
reason to fight for that position...
Food.
DR. EAST: The benefit
that dominant cubs
acquire from being aggressive
is that they do, even
when things aren't too bad,
skew the amount of milk
they consume in their favor.
NARRATOR: When times are good,
there's enough
food for both cubs.
But when milk
is in short supply,
things become dire
for the subordinate twin.
DR. EAST: The outcome
of aggression, if it carries on
and is very extreme
for a couple of months,
it can be that the
subordinate cub
starts to basically wither away.
And in the end, it
will starve to death.
NARRATOR: Footage captured
by Marion's research team
shows dominant cubs
push their subordinates away
from their mother's
precious milk.
Actions like this mean
that in nearly 10 percent
of hyena litters
here in the Serengeti,
the subordinate
will die of starvation.
This killing of a brother or
sister is known as siblicide.
So what determines
which twin wins?
♪♪
The answer might just
play out on a soccer field.
In sports, winning produces
a surge of hormones
that gives a player
added confidence.
This self-assurance could mean
they're more likely
to score again.
[Cheers and applause]
It's called the
Winner-Loser theory.
♪♪
And it could also affect the
dynamic between hyena twins.
In those early days,
when one twin wins
a fight over its sibling,
it remembers that.
They both learn
where they stand in life.
For a mother, this ruthless
behavior is a harsh reality,
but it does have
a silver lining.
DR. EAST: If there wasn't
siblicide, she'd lose both cubs
because she just simply doesn't
have enough milk to feed both.
So it's better for one cub
to survive than for two to die.
NARRATOR: The
natural world is unforgiving.
When times get really hard,
having one rebel cub survive
means the whole
family gets a future.
Hyena cubs are in good company
when it comes to
questionable conduct.
Newborn babies of these
underground amphibians...
Caecilians... Eat
their mother's skin.
Black lace-weaver
spiderlings eat their mother.
♪♪
So what is the secret
to a happy family?
Well, in Europe,
a species not so
far from our own
has come up with a
very unusual answer.
And it lies, of course, in
a pretty despicable deed.
♪♪
These, are the Barbary
macaques of Gibraltar.
♪♪
[Chittering]
♪♪
Europe's only wild primates
live in large social groups
of up to 80 males and females.
As far as macaque species go,
the matriarchal Barbaries
are relatively peaceful.
In this big, happy family,
social tactics are often more
effective than aggression.
Several hours of grooming a
day keeps stress levels down.
♪♪
This is the perfect
environment to bring up babies.
♪♪
But there's trouble in paradise.
[Sea gulls crying]
Meet Vincent.
He's on the lookout for
a precious commodity.
And he's got one thing in mind.
♪♪
Kidnapping!
[Macaques squeaking]
Vincent has stolen
a helpless baby.
Mom is left empty handed.
But why has he done this?
♪♪
Dr. Eric Shaw has been
observing these macaques
for over 18 years.
He's caught countless males
in the act of baby stealing.
[Macaque squeals]
DR. SHAW: It may look to most
people somewhat aggressive
when it's taken from the mother,
but it's what transpired
beforehand that's brought
about what looks aggressive
to the human observer.
NARRATOR: To
understand what's going on,
we need to backtrack
to before the kidnapping.
♪♪
Though Barbaries
are mostly harmonious,
like human families, they
sometimes erupt in conflict.
[Macaques squealing]
♪♪
DR. SHAW: Basically
what happens is the males
have arguments a little bit like
we have arguments
with one another.
But they can't be
enemies forever.
And what they do
once they've fallen out
is they realize there
has to be reconciliation.
They all live in the same group.
There has to be peace.
NARRATOR: They make peace
in the most remarkable way...
By stealing a baby.
DR. SHAW: The
loser, so to speak,
will go and borrow a
baby off one of the females.
NARRATOR: In our
case, the loser is Vincent...
A relative nobody in
the troop's pecking order.
DR. SHAW: He will take that
baby and go back to his protagonist,
the one that he lost
against, and present it.
NARRATOR: Our winner
is Aristotle on the left...
The alpha male, the boss.
Vincent needs him on his side.
Keeping good with
the alpha could improve
Vincent's position in the troop,
and a higher rank means better
access to food and females.
But what do these two
males do with the baby?
DR. SHAW: You've
got a little, tiny baby
that gets turned upside down,
his bottom gets
smelled by both of them,
they have a close look.
♪♪
They'll both lip smack
and chatter over the baby.
NARRATOR: This is the
macaque equivalent of a smile.
DR. SHAW: Showing
my teeth... Harmless, nice,
wide-open, friendly,
"I love you, really."
NARRATOR: So
peace reigns once more.
Aristotle has accepted
Vincent's olive branch,
and they are friends again.
Which is all very well for them.
But the olive branch is hungry
and seems a bit distressed
by his new babysitters.
DR. SHAW: It's not quite
sure what's happening,
but it's shouting to
mummy all the time.
The mothers don't react badly
because the baby's not taken.
The mother's lent it.
She knows exactly
what's happening.
But they keep that watching eye.
♪♪
NARRATOR: Now that the baby
has served Vincent's purpose,
he doesn't seem so smitten.
It might be time to give
it back to its mother.
The beauty of
this bizarre apology
is that Vincent isn't
the only one to benefit.
The whole troop does.
Baby borrowing
resolves conflict.
It reduces tension in the group.
♪♪
Instead of being a high
crime, this remarkable behavior
actually helps
foster a happy clan.
♪♪
[Sea gulls crying]
♪♪
Getting ahead in the mating
game often requires cheating...
playing the field...
cannibalism...
or plain, brute force.
But being a rebel serves
an important purpose.
The challenges these
animals face are immense.
Thinking on your feet
and outside the box
can be just what it takes
for an animal to succeed.
[Chittering]
♪♪
♪♪